Tara Frank, RN
In 1972, my second oldest brother was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system. My parents were initially told he would maybe live to be 5 years old.
Fast forward to 2025 and my brother is now 53 years old!
This wouldn’t have been possible without both a double lung transplant and later a kidney transplant. He received a double lung transplant on October 8, 1994. I was just 15 years old at the time and didn’t fully grasp the complexity of the situation, but I KNEW that I wanted to be an organ donor so I could help someone, just like someone had helped my brother. Several years of CF medications and anti-rejection medications took a toll on my brother’s kidneys so in 2001, after dialysis just wasn’t enough, the hunt was on to find him a new kidney. Immediate family was tested to see if they were a match. I was in nursing school at this time and knew this wasn’t the best time in my life to do it but it was likely the only time to do it and I was more than willing! I didn’t end up being a match, but my dad was! On January 15, 2002 my dad donated one of his kidneys to my brother. Dad sometimes jokingly says that my brother probably got the best part of him! I know that isn’t true because without his gracious, generous heart this kidney transplant would have never happened.
Life expectancy for CF patients has significantly increased over the past 50 years. Research and advances in medical treatment have allowed CF patients a much improved quality of life. The most amazing part of his story is that he just celebrated his 30-year anniversary of his double lung transplant, a transplant that has a median survival rate of around 5-6 years! He has continued to amaze his health care team with how well he has done over the past 30 years since his lung transplant. But he couldn’t have done it without help. Organ donation is an easy YES for me and this is my why.